Sewage disposal equipment



J. w. VAN' DENBURG [2,430,749

SEWAGE DISPOSAL EQUIPMENT FiledvJul-y 19, 1945 2 Smeets-sheet 1 INVENTOR NOV. 11, 1947. J, W VAN DENBUR, 2,430,749

SEWAGE DISPOSAL EQUIPMENT Filed July 19', 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSI A Patented Nov. 11, 1947 stares TENT GFFICE ,'7 Claims. 1

This invention relates Yto air diffusing uneans, including porous diffusing tubes .supplied `with air under pressure, Vsuchas are Vemployed in aerating tanks in installations for the 1.treatment of sewage. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novelair-,diffusing means :whichinsures .even distribution of the air .through the tank in Whichit is installed, so long .as the diffusing ytubes are unin'jured, but, upon breaking of a tube, .releases -additional air so as .to .give prompt warning tothe attendant of .the damage.

t has `been the common practice .heretofore to provide .aerating tanks forsewage :treatment with air diffusing means including one or ymoreheadfers mounted in the bottom of eac-htank and usually near a wall. Each 'header is provided with a plurality of outlets along its length and carries a diffuser tube extending outwardly at each outlet. The diffuser -tubes are porous and made of materials, such as carbon, so that they are somewhat delicate and are subject to being broken. Each header is `supplied with air under pressure and the rtubes are closed at their outer `ends so that the air entering `the tubes can escape only through `the porous walls.

As such tanks'are ordinarily relatively long and it is important that the air distribution throughout lthe tanks be uniform, -i-t has been proposed to mount each tube on -a-n adapter threaded intoan opening in the header wall, the adapter having a :restricted air ypassage Ethrough it. 'If a tube breaks, vthe adapter remains in Aposition and continues its throttling action, `so that there is cornparatively little increased escape of air ibecauseof the broken tube. This arrangement is subject to the objection, however, that ythe-air esca-ping from the adapter of a broken tube is not properly diffused through the lcontents of the tank Lbut the continued throttling of Athe .fair .may prevent the operator of the plant from detecting the damage. 'Bheequipment .rnay, accordingly, be .operated for some 4time with one vor |more tubes "broken vand such .operation iis, .of course, -ineicien-t.

The lpresent invention lis :directed to the :provision of vair `ditliusing 4mean-s including porous ditfruser tubes, .which .is .provided -with means for v1insuring uniform .distributienet .air, while fthe .tubes are :intact and uninljured. In addition, .the new diiusing means .is so lconstructed that, vin lthe event of .breakagebf a tube, the air control .means for that .tube becomes zineiective, and, as .a :result, increased .air 'flow .occurs .fat the .broken .tube and ,gives La warning :to the .attendant `that scan.- not go unobserved.

For .a netter :understanding pf the invention,

drawings, in which Fig. 1 ris a :transverse `cross-sectional view showing the air diff-using means of the invention installed in aeratizng tanks.;

Fig. 2 is :a View .partly yin transverse and .partly in longitudinal cross-section through one form of the device of the invention;

Fig. .3 is a sectional view .on the line 3--3 of Fig. 21;

Figs..4 5 'and i6 `are 'views vsimi-lar .to Fig. .2 .showing-modified terms of ithe device;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View on line 1--1 `.ofglig .6I and Eig. 8 is `a view similar :to Eig. 2' showing another modification.

The .air ,diffusing means of the invention are shown :in Fg. 'l installed in a pair of aeratlng tanks lf, il ;I ,whichhavealcommon central .wall l2. A main .air .supply line |:3 is mounted in a .channel 51.14 at .the ltop of `vvall l2, and .branchzpipes i5, I6 lead downwardly from :the line i3 through .the tanks .to Aheaders l1, t8, respectively, n.near Ithe bottoms of the tanks. -Headers H, I8 are provided with klateral discharge openings at intervals along :their length, and .porous 'diffusing tubes I=9 are mounted on .the headers H, I3 .to receive air through the outlets from .the headers. The .porous tubes .are closed at their outer ends, and the air supplied .under pressure to headers Il, :i8 escapes through .the :porous walls of the .tubes and flows upward through the contents of the tanks.

The air diiiusing means of the invention may take various specic forms, and iin the construction shown in Fig. 2, the header l2l), which corresponds to either header I1, .18, is formed with a liangezi around eachbutlet opening 22. A-throttling disc 23 :is seated on the Aend of the ange, and the .poro-us diffusing tube 2L! bears against the outer face of the disc. 'The :outer end of the .tube 24 is closed by a disc 425, and a rod 25 extends through disc 25, tube 24, the restricted opening 23a of the throttling disc 23, vand through the header 20 and out through an opening A21, aligned with the outlet opening :22. 'Rod 26 is threaded at both ends, and nuts 28 screwed on the rod serve to clamp` the parts of the assembly together. Gaskets 29 beneath the nutsz28 prevent theescape of .air around the rod.

With the construction .described in Fig. 2, air supplied under pressure 4to header 2i! ,flows outwardly through the restricted opening 23a in the throttling disc into the interior .of tube .24, and then escapes .through the .porous wall of the tube.. So vlong as vthe tube :remains intact,

the throttling disc is held in position by being clamped between the end of tube 24 and the end of ange 2i. If the tube becomes broken, the clamping rod can no longer perform its function, and disc 23 falls out of place. A flow of air in a greater amount than that permitted by the disc, when it is in operative position, then takes place, and the excessive ilow of air causes such bubbling as will be readily noted by the attendant, The damaged tube may then be removed in the usual way, and the assembly restored to its original condition The construction shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that shown in Fig. 2, except that the header 30 is not provided with an integral flange, but instead, a short length of tubing 3l is seated against the outside of the header around the discharge opening 32. A throttling disc 33, having a restricted passage 34 therethrough, is seated on the outer end of tubing 3l and held in place by the porous tube 35. The porous tube is closed at its outer end by a disc 36, and a rod 31, which is threaded into the Wall of the header opposite the discharge opening 32, extends through aligned openings in discs 33 and 36. AA nut 38 threaded on the rod bears against disc 35 and clamps the several parts in place. As in the Fig. 2 construction, the braking of the tube 35 releases disc 33, and the disc is unseated, either by the action of gravity or by the air under pressure behind it. With the unseating of disc 33, an increased flow of air occurs to warn th attendant.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5, the header 39 is formed with bosses 39' each having a plurality of air passages 48 therethrough. A throttling disc 4| seated on the outer end of each boss closes certain of the air passages, while leaving at least one open, Disc '4l is held in place by a porous tube 42, the Vouter end of which is closed by a disc 43./ A rod 44 passes through discs 4I and 43 and is threaded into boss 39. A nut 45 on the end of the rod bears against disc 43` and serves to clamp the assembled parts in operative relation. Upon breaking of tube 42, disc 4I drops down to open all of the passages through boss 39, thus producing the increased ow of air desirable for warning purposes.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the header 46 has a plurality of internally` threaded outlets into each 'of which is screwed a hollow tting 41. Each. such tting has an opening 48 in its outer end, and it is formed with internal and external seats around vvthe opening. A disc 49 having a plurality of spaced projections 50 on one face is seated on the internal seat within Ythe fitting, and the disc is held in place by a block l lying within the fitting. VA porous tube 52 bears against the external seat on the outer face of the tting and has its outer end closed bydisc 53. A rod 34 extends through disc 53 and is threaded intothe block 5I, and a nut 55 threaded on the outer end of the rod bears against disc 53; When the parts are in assembled relation, as shown in Fig, 6, air may flow in a limited amount through the spaces between projections 50 on plate 49 and thence through the opening 48 in the end fitting 41 into Vthe interior of tube 52. Ii tube 52 becomes broken, rod 54 drops and disc 49 is unseated, so that an increased amount of air may dow from the header through the fitting.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, the header 56 is formed with a plurality of outlet openings 51, and a washer 58 is seated on the outsidel of the header around veach opening. Another washer 59 is seated against the inner wall of the header around the opening 51, and a plate 69, which is generally similar to plate 49, is held against the inner face of washer 59 by a block 3|. A porous tube 62 bears against the outer end of washer 58, and the tube is closed at its outer end by a disc 53. A rod 64 threaded into block 6l extends through tube 62 and disc 63, and is provided at its exposed end with a nut 35 which bears against disc 63 and serves to keep the parts in proper assembled relation. If tube `32 becomes injured, rod 64 drops and this permits disc 33 to be unseated. When disc 60 isoi its seat, itI can no longer limit the amount of air escaping through outlet 51, and the increased air flow acts as a warning signal.

' "Inv all forms of the new air diffusing means described, the ow of air from the header into each v diffusing tube is normally throttled, so that it is possible to obtain a uniform air discharge through the tubes from one end of the header tothe other or for adjacent groups of headers. The `throttling action at each tube continues only so long as that tube is intact, and, Ywhenever any tube becomes damaged and the throttling device becomes inoperative, an increased air flow immediately' takes place from the outlet, by which the tube was supplied with air, and this new is in such volume as to give immediate warning to the operator of the equipment. There is, therefore, little likelihood of the installation operating for any considerable amount of time without the operator being aware that one or more diiusing tubes have become broken.

-What is claimed is:

l. Air diffusing means Vwhich comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a member operable when held in one position to limit the escape of air through the outlet means,a porous diffuser tube closed at one end and receiving air at its other end from the outlet' means, and means for holding the member in operative position and maintaining the tube in place to receive air, the holding means becoming ineiective upon breaking of the tube, whereby the member moves from operative position. f

v 2; Air diffusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a member operable when held in one position to limit the escapeof air through the outlet means, a porous diffuser tube closed at one-end and receiving air at the other end from the outlet means, and means including a rod extending through the tube and connected to the closed end-thereof for holding the tube in place and the member in operative position, the holding means becoming ineiective upon breaking of the tube, whereby the member moves from operative position.

3. Air diffusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a porous diffuser tube closed at one end and receiving air at its other end from the .outlet means, a member held between the tube and the outlet means and effective in such position to limit the escape of air from the outlet means into the tube, and means for supporting the tube in place and thereby holding the member in Voperative position, the breaking of the tube rendering the supporting and holding means ineiective, whereby the member moves from operative position and ceases to limit the flow of air through the outlet means.

4. lAir diiusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a seat adjacent the outlet means, a member effective when held on the seat to limit the how of air through the outlet means, a porous diffuser tube closed at one end and receiving air from the outlet means at the other, and means engaging the tube at a point remote from its open end for holding the tube in place and the member on the seat, the breaking of the tube rendering the holding means ineiective, whereby the member falls from the seat to inoperative position. Y

5. Air diffusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a seat adjacent the outlet means, a plate operable when held on the seat to limit the flow of air through the outlet means, a porous air diiuser tube having an outer closed end and mounted with its inner open end against the plate to receive air therethrough, and means for holding the tube to clamp the plate in position, the breaking of the tube rendering the holding means inoperative, whereby the plate falls from operative position.

6. Air diiusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a seat adjacent the outlet means, a plate operable when held on the seat to limit the iiow of air through the outlet means, a porous air diffuser tube having an outer closed end and mounted with its inner open end against the plate to receive air therethrough, and a rod secured at one end to the header and at the other end to a part of the tube remote from its open end, the rod extending through the plate and tube and holding the tube to clamp the plate in operative position on the seat, the breaking of the tube rendering the rod inelective, whereby the plate falls from operative position.

'7. Air diffusing means which comprises a header supplied with air under pressure and having outlet means, a seat adjacent the outlet means and facing the header, a second seat adjacent the outlet means facing away from the header, a plate effective when held on the rst seat for limiting the flow of air through the outlet means, a porous diffuser tube having a closed outer end and mounted with its open inner end against the second seat to receive air from the outlet means, and means for holding the plate and the tube on their respective seats, the breaking of the tube rendering the holding means ineiective, whereby the plate falls to inoperative position.

JOHN W. VAN DENBURG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 30 Number Name Date 2,221,346 Durdin, Jr. Nov. 12, 1940 2,212,841 Maxwell Aug. 27, 1940 

